One Day
by lookingforemily
Summary: Linstead AU (costume drama). Erin Lindsay is a common villager under protection of the Head of Royal Security, Sergeant Voight. However, her attraction to the Captain of the Guard, Jay Halstead, causes several complications. Inspired by the following 8tracks playlist: /queendoms/a-little-party-never-killed-nobody
1. That's awfully formal of you

Erin Lindsay stood in front of the tall, gold-crested mirror in her luxurious bedroom, turning her body from side to side to examine the massive dress that she was forced to wear for the night. To call it tight-fitting would be an understatement; she felt as though her lungs were being crushed under the weight of the suffocating fabric. Nevertheless, she would suffer through it. Not because she wanted to, of course. Half of what Erin did these days wasn't anything that she wanted. But when you're inevitably placed under the protective care of someone as respectable as Hank Voight, Head of Royal Security, then you pretty much have no choice when it comes to following orders.

As Erin fiddled with the ribbon criss-crossing down the back of her dress, she tried to remember everything that Sergeant Voight had done for her, to ebb her frustration. She didn't remember all the details, of course, but she remembered enough.

As a child, Erin grew up in a relatively poor family. Her mother was a mere peasant who had to work long days harvesting in the nearby fields in order to make ends meet, and sometimes that was barely enough to get them by. Erin's father had left before she was born; he hadn't wanted the commitment of caring for a child he knew he couldn't afford. Growing up without much stability, it seemed only natural for Erin to rebel, and so she did. She began to stay out late and to get involved with reckless children her age, until finally she decided that she wanted to make a life for herself and run away from home. She bounced from place to place over the course of three years, until finally, when she was fifteen years old, fate dealt her a much nicer card that it ever had before.

One night, when it was pouring rain and icy cold, Erin sat shivering under a tree on the side of a winding road, trying desperately to think of a place where she could find shelter. She didn't have to think too long, however, because the prince's Royal Security came galloping along the road only moments after she had sat down. Before she realized what was happening or had a chance to hide, the guards had stopped to see who she was. The one in front dismounted his sleek, black horse and approached her carefully. When Erin tried to explain her situation and who she was, the guard could see that she was all alone and had nowhere to go, so he decided on the spot to take her in for the time being. He did not know at the time, however, that he would end up becoming her legal guardian and initiating her into the palace life.

So that was how Erin came to be under the care of Sergeant Voight. As if her thoughts and memories were audible, a deep, husky voice filled her room abruptly.

"Erin?" It was Voight himself, dressed sharply in a black suit trimmed in gleaming gold. Erin's dress was made in the same colors, the colors of the Royal Family.

Erin turned around and straightened her posture as she faced the man who she had come to think of as her father. He walked over to her and examined her in the dress.

"You look beautiful," he said, the hint of a smile vaguely present on his lips. "I'd imagine you'll be ready soon? The guests have already begun to arrive."

Erin nodded sharply. "Yes, I'm almost ready. Give me five minutes and I'll be right down."

"All right," said Voight, and he turned to leave. As soon as he was out of the room, Erin sat down in front of her vanity table and stared at herself in the mirror. Her hair was pinned up and drawn back with a golden headband. Not her hairstyle of preference, but it she had an appearance to keep up. Golden earrings dangled from her earlobes. A faint shade of pink colored her lips. The smooth black corset of her dress accented her figure exquisitely. She felt that she looked the part, but even after living under the guardianship of Sergeant Voight for nearly five years, she still didn't feel quite like she belonged so close to the Royal Family.

After another long gaze in the mirror and a deep breath, Erin rose from her seat, smoothed the front of her black gown, and made her way to the door. She pulled it open and walked down the winding spiral staircase from the top of the northeast tower to meet Voight at the foot of the stairs and walk into the ballroom where the festivities were taking place.

The room was decorated ravenously for the occasion; banners and colorful drapes hung from the walls, the floor practically gleamed from its spotlessness, and there was an orchestra nestled in the corner of the room playing music while the guests waltzed around in the center of the floor. At the head of the room sat the Queen and King, surveying their guests with happiness in their faces. Usually once a month, they decided to open their castle halls up to the public and invite the village in for a ball. They maintained a consistent relationship with the villagers and wanted to make sure everyone felt welcome.

In spite of this, however, Erin continuously felt alone. No matter how grateful she was for what Voight had done for her and for the amazing opportunity she had to live in the castle and be given luxuries that some citizens couldn't even imagine, she felt out of place and detached. From what, she didn't know, but she knew that there was more out there for her than palace life. After all, she wasn't even a member of the Royal Family, and living inside the restrictions of royalty pained her enough.

Erin stepped back to the edge of the crowd and watched couples spin around on the dance floor in an array of colorful, flowing gowns and laughter. Her eyes scanned the room, and her gaze rested on beautiful dresses and suits worn by party guests, laughing and talking groups of people, and tables laden with a delectable assortment of treats. Everyone seemed to be enjoying herself.

Erin's eyes then found the far wall of the room, where the Royal Guard stood and surveyed the event. As she saw them standing there in their jet black uniforms, adorned with golden stripes and badges, she wondered for the hundredth time what it would be like to live a life like theirs. Uniform-clad, protecting the Royal Family, watching over the city…if only she were able to do that. But it was impossible, and she was perfectly aware of that. Not only had there never been a female member of the Royal Guard, but Sergeant Voight would never allow for her to be put in potential danger under his watch. He had made a promise to her—and to himself—to protect her, and letting her become a soldier was the last thing he would do.

As she continued to observe her surroundings, Erin's gaze fell on the face of someone who made her heart skip a beat, although she would never admit it to anyone. She could hardly admit it to herself. But there he was, standing in the center of the lineup of the Royal Guard and looking as handsome as ever. Jay Halstead, the Captain of the Guard.

His hair was in its usual style, combed back and parted gently along one side. His blue eyes pierced right through her, even though he hadn't yet noticed that she was staring at him from across the room. He was so handsome, and so respectable within the Royal community. They knew each other well enough to hold a conversation, but they had only ever spent time together under strict circumstances. For instance, if she happened to be around during his patrol shift of the castle, or if they met up in one of the courtyards by chance. They were friends, in the loosest of terms, but nothing more. Still, that didn't change the fact that the very thought of him could make Erin's heart race. Of course, that was a complete secret. Other than some of the maids and a few of the guards, Erin didn't have too many people to talk to or confide in. There was always Voight, and there always would be Voight, and he would never approve of her affectionate thoughts toward Captain Halstead, which is why she had no choice but to keep them a secret. If Voight ever found out, he would be furious. If Halstead ever found out…well, that was another story, but Erin was hardly ready to admit her true feelings to even herself.

Suddenly, Captain Halstead's eyes met hers, and Erin felt a warm blush creep onto her cheeks. From across the room, she saw him smile and look down at the ground with faint sheepishness before striding across the room to meet her.

"Good evening, my lady," said the Captain, offering a bow in front of her.

"That's awfully formal of you," said Erin.

Captain Halstead shrugged, a sudden wave of a calm demeanor enveloping him. "It's a royal ball and I'm the Captain of the Guard. I'm expected to follow formalities."

"So am I," Erin replied. "Doesn't meant that I want to."

Halstead laughed and a wide grin spread across his handsome face. "That I already know all too well."

Erin laughed with him and was in awe of how simple this was, this kind of relaxed conversation. If only every interaction in her life could feel like this.

"You look beautiful, by the way," Halstead added. He was looking straight at her, which made Erin feel both intimidated and intrigued.

"Thank you, Captain," she responded.

Halstead cocked his head to one side and smirked. "That's awfully formal of you."

Erin grinned. "I might as well be Rapunzel locked away in a tower at this point. I'm expected to follow formalities."

Halstead shook his head, seemingly bewildered and amused at the same time. "Well then. If the tower is getting too much, maybe a walk outside might do well for a change of scenery?"

He offered Erin his arm and smiled gently down at her. Without thinking, Erin went to grasp it, but then quickly glanced around the room, searching for disapproving eyes.

"Relax," the Captain whispered. "He's not even in the room right now."

Erin looked up at him with gratitude and slid her hand around his arm. She felt her stomach clench with knots, but also felt the thrill of rebellion at the idea of sneaking around outside with the Captain behind Voight's back. It wasn't as if they hadn't talked before, but maybe it was just the nerves that made her feel as though she had to be sneaky. Regardless, the butterflies in Erin's stomach would not disappear as Captain Halstead led her out to the veranda and the warm evening sky.


	2. Captain of the Guard, at your service

The evening air was warm with the breath of summer, and the sky was lit up with a beautiful explosion of color. Pink, orange, and purple melted into each other amidst the billowy clouds, and Jay couldn't help but be mesmerized by it. As he led Erin out to the gardens, hedges, and plants that spread out behind the back of the castle. It was truly a great night for an evening stroll, but Jay was more focused about the lady on his arm than the rest of his surroundings.

He couldn't pinpoint exactly when it had started, but that wasn't really what mattered. He had simply started to notice Erin Lindsay more than he noticed anyone else in the castle, and that was all there was to it. Well, on the surface at least. Being Captain of the Guard, Jay had responsibilities to attend to and an appearance to keep up. He couldn't just go vying after anyone in the castle as he pleased, especially when that someone happened to be under the protective care of his Sergeant.

Voight was a caring man, but a strict man above all else. Protective seemed to be a bit of an understatement, and Jay felt that was something that him and Erin both agreed on, despite the fact that they had never really discussed it. He could see something in her, something that she was trying to hide; a lust for adventure, a yearning for a life much more interesting than the one she was currently living. Living in the castle came with an expected demonstration of formality, which was a major adjustment for anyone, not to mention someone who had been taken in off the streets like Erin. Jay both admired her and felt bad for her, and even though she didn't want to admit it out loud, he knew that she wanted more than this life, no matter how grateful she was for the opportunity.

"It's beautiful out here," Erin commented. She surveyed the evening sky and the vines that stretched up the outer castle walls.

"I figured you wouldn't mind some fresh air," Jay said. They sat down on the edge of one of the elaborately carved benches that lined the shrubbery behind the castle. In the distance, birds sang an evening song and the sun made its slow descent to the horizon.

"What makes you say that?" Erin asks, leaning forward and folding her hands beneath her chin. She peered up at Jay with curiosity, questions in her eyes.

He shrugged. How best to tell Erin Lindsay that he saw right through the palace façade that she was forced to wear like a fancy ball gown? How best to tell her that he could read her better than she thought, even though he was almost positive she didn't want anyone to have that power?

"Royal balls aren't all they're talked up to be," he answered.

"Says someone who goes to all of them," Erin replied.

"Someone has to protect the King and Queen from danger. Captain of the Guard, at your service."

Erin twisted her hands together and looked out across the veranda.

"Do you like your job?" she asked him. He was surprised at the question; usually when they spoke, it was only basic conversations that hardly touched on anything personal. This, Jay felt, was as close to a personal question as they had ever come.

So of course, he decided to answer honestly. "Of course. There is nothing I would rather do."

"You seem…less than fond of things here," Jay replied.

It was Erin's turn to shrug. Jay could tell she was simply trying to act nonchalant. "Voight—sorry, _Sergeant_ Voight—took me in when I had basically nothing, even though that was my own fault to begin with. I'd be nowhere if he hadn't of taken me in like he did. So I'd be stupid to complain when I have so much to be thankful for, instead."

Jay nodded as she spoke. "You are very fortunate," he acknowledged. "But then again, so am I. And that doesn't meant that we aren't allowed to want other things, different things. Better things, even."

Erin smiled up at him. "So what do _you_ want, then?"

Jay exhaled heavily. He hadn't been prepared for that question. Absentmindedly, he fiddled with one of the clasps on his uniform, fidgeting from the nerves. Erin had that affect on him and it still confounded his mind.

"I think what I want most is..." _you_, he wanted to say, "to be happy. To live an exciting life, and to be happy with it. What more could somebody ask for?"

"Nothing, really," Erin said, looking down at the ground. She looked sad, Jay realized. No, she looked unhappy, dissatisfied.

Hesitantly, he leaned toward her, and then put a finger under her chin to tilt her head gently toward him. Their faces were inches apart. Jay could see the striking color of her hazel-brown eyes up close. He shot a glance at her lips, which were parted slightly and colored a rosy pink.

"Listen to me," he told her, never breaking her gaze. "There's more for you than this, I know it. Your adventure is coming. I know you're going to get out of here someday."

"And just what makes you think that?" said a voice.

Jay and Erin instinctively moved apart from each other on the bench and looked over in shock to where Sergeant Voight was standing by the wall, his arms folded across his chest and a clearly unimpressed look on his stern face.


	3. We were just talking

Erin felt her breath catch in her throat. She understood how bad this must look, her sitting here with Captain Halstead, much too close for Sergeant Voight's liking. Voight probably felt uneasy about them being in the same room together, let alone sitting on the same bench, breathing the same breath. She could tell by the stern set of his mouth and the tenseness of his jaw that he was not impressed.

"Sir, I—" Halstead began, but Voight cut him off before the Captain could even form a sentence.

"Shouldn't you be inside at the ball? You know, doing your job?" Erin felt that Voight's voice was deeper and sterner than usual. She stared down at her feet, her cheeks reddening involuntarily. How embarrassing, she thought, but she felt worried, too. As good as Voight had been to her, he had specific rules that she had no choice but to follow. Erin often wondered if the source of the rules was because of the fact that she lived in the castle, or simply because of Voight.

Beside her, Jay smoothed out his uniform anxiously and said, "I'm sorry, sir. I was just heading there."

He rose from the bench and walked toward the closest entrance to the main hall of the castle. As he walked by, Voight muttered, "I'll deal with _you_, later," under his breath. Erin knew it wasn't the wisest choice, but she couldn't help but peek up and watch Jay go from the corner of her eye. He looked so handsome in his uniform, and when he had looked at her so intently before they had been interrupted, Erin couldn't help the eruption of butterflies in her stomach.

Except now the butterflies had been replaced with a deep-rooted feeling of dread, caused by the angry man standing in front of her.

"What exactly were you doing with him?" Voight asked, eyeing her with a hard gaze. There was an angry set to his jaw that made him look even more intimidating than usual. Even though he was typically kind to Erin, she couldn't help but feel the tiniest bit afraid of him at times.

"We were just talking," Erin replied as she fiddled with the hem of her dress. It was the truth, after all. They had only been talking. Of course, any time they got the chance to spend time together, all they ever did was talk. Usually it was typical palace small-talk, but every now and then they would share a real conversation, much like the one they had been having before Voight had appeared. Erin treasured those moments, because they were few and far between. Halstead was busy with his duties as Captain of the Guard, and she was usually under somebody's watchful eye, particularly Sergeant Voight's.

"I wasn't particularly fond of the topic of conversation," Voight pressed. He towered over Erin in the fading sunlight, looking down on her. Despite how grateful she was for everything Voight had done for her, Erin couldn't help but feel frustrated. She was almost twenty and definitely old enough to think for herself and to live a life of her own, but Voight didn't seem to think so. Literally or figuratively, he was _always_ looking down on her.

Erin's eyes narrowed and she felt the heat rise to her cheeks again. "I don't know what you're talking about." She folded her arms across her chest and stood up from the bench so that she could meet Voight eye-to-eye.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I would like to return to the ball." Erin gathered the billowing skirt of her gown in her hands and made for the entrance, but Voight grabbed her arm.

"Erin…" he said, and though his deep tone still had an edge to it, it was much calmer than it had been before. "You're happy here, right?"

She didn't answer. She didn't know how to. Was she truly happy here? It was a simple question with a complicated answer. In comparison to living on the streets, life in the palace was a dream come true and a complete blessing that she had never even thought to be possible. She had beautiful clothes, a comfortable bed, a wonderful home, and more money than she had ever had before in her life. Erin knew that she was incredibly lucky. But was she _happy_?

Voight didn't seem to notice her lack of a response.

"This is a good life, Erin. And you'll always have a place here." His voice was warm, comforting. This was the Voight who had saved her. This was the Voight she knew and loved.

But she couldn't ignore the fact that he had been the overbearing, condescending Voight only moments before.

Erin took a deep breath and locked her eyes with the Sergeant's. "I understand, and you know that I'm thankful for that." She knew what she wanted to say, but it took all the courage within her to say it. Voight looked at her expectantly, patient. "But…what if here just isn't my place?"

"Are you saying you don't want to live here anymore?" The warmth in Voight's voice was slipping away into coldness.

Erin shook her head violently, her heart racing. A few pieces of her hair fell out of her golden headband into a disarray around her face. "No, no! That's not what I'm saying at all." But deep in her heart, she knew that it was. There was no denying how trapped she felt within the confines of the palace grounds and the palace rules.

"Then enlighten me, please, Erin. What _are_ you saying?" Voight had released her arm by this point, but Erin felt as though the hold he had on her was stronger than ever.

Erin heaved a long breath and met the Sergeant's eyes with a stern expression herself.

"I want to be able to live my life, Voight," she said firmly. She was lucky to not have to refer to him as 'Sergeant' or any other formal title, but she could never bring herself to speak to him on a first-name basis. It wasn't so much out of respect as it was out of intimidation, no matter how bold she tried to be on her own. "I want to see the world," Erin continued passionately. "I want to go on an adventure and be able to spend time with whoever I want, and—" but Voight was two steps ahead of her.

"Whoever you want, huh? Like Captain Halstead, for instance? Is he the one who put all these ridiculous thoughts in your head?" Sergeant Voight was fuming, now.

"No, he…he just…we were just talking." She couldn't think of anything better to say. "And it's not ridiculous," she murmured quietly.

"Erin, listen to me," Voight urged. "This is the best life for you, and this is the best life that I can give you. It's safe here, and you'll never have to worry about any danger as long as you abide by my rules. I just want what's best for you."

"But what if this isn't what's best for me?" she pleaded.

"No exceptions," Voight snapped suddenly. "Unless I say otherwise, you are not to leave the palace grounds, not even with any of the maids or the guards. And until you understand that this is the only kind of life you are going to live, you are not to speak to Captain Halstead whatsoever. Have I made myself clear?"

"But—"

"_Have I made myself clear?!_" Voight growled, the veins in his neck straining.

Erin nodded solemnly. "Perfectly," she muttered, blinking away the tears that had begun to prick at her eyes.

"Excellent. Now run along back inside and enjoy the party. There are lots of admirable guests that I'm sure would love to make your acquaintance. In the meantime, it appears I have to give my Captain a talking to."

Voight stormed past her angrily towards the closest entrance to the castle, leaving Erin alone on the balcony with nothing but her thoughts, her tears, and the coldness of the nighttime air.

She couldn't believe how angry Voight had gotten with her over such a stupid argument. Was it really so wrong for her to want to be independent and to live without all of these rules? Erin didn't think so, but that was where she and Voight clearly did not see eye-to-eye. He expected her to live in the castle, hopefully meet a wealthy suitor, and end up continuing the progression of palace life in some other realm laden with riches. As appealing as that sounds, it was not what she wanted, or _who_ she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. The only man that she could ever imagine herself with was Captain Jay Halstead, who had captivated her in a way that had no escape. Except now she was forbidden to speak to him, and Erin knew that Voight would make sure he understood that perfectly clear, as well. It wasn't fair.

Erin knew that she couldn't stand not talking to Jay. So she decided that the only solution was to find a way around it.


	4. He doesn't own either of us

"_Am I understood?_" Voight's angry voice filled Jay's ears with enough pounding to give him a headache. The Sergeant had been verbally tearing him apart for a good five minutes now, and it was seriously getting on Jay's nerves. It wasn't like he'd done anything illegal, and he and Erin had only been talking. Talking at very close proximity, and about things that did not grant the Hank Voight Golden Seal of Approval, but still. Jay suppressed a sigh and looked his Sergeant in the eyes as he delivered a level response.

"Yes, sir." It was all he could say. There was no arguing with Voight, never mind the fact that he was Head of Royal Security. Whatever he said might as well be carved into stone and displayed for the entire village to see as an official decree. _Maybe he should consider overthrowing the King,_ Jay thought bitterly to himself.

"I'll expect you to be on your best behavior, Captain," Voight spat at him. "And under no uncertain circumstances are you to speak to Miss Lindsay, is that clear?"

_Yes, I believe you mentioned that once or twice,_ Jay wanted to say, but he knew better than to back-talk his Sergeant. Anyone who valued their own peace of mind knew better than to do that. So Jay simply replied with a firm "Yes, sir," because, yet again, there was nothing else that he could say.

"Good," Voight muttered, shaking his head and looking down at the ground in exasperation. "Now get back inside and do your _job_, Captain. I trust you remember what that entails?" He meant what the Captain's job _didn't_ entail, of course, which was no less than having secret chats with Erin Lindsay in the back courtyard by the sunset.

This time, it took every ounce of strength Jay had not to snap and say something he would soon regret, so he opted for a firm nod of affirmation before he walked back toward the entrance of the castle ballroom.

Back inside, the party was in full swing, but it didn't make Jay want to join in the fun. He wasn't supposed to, anyway. He knew that he was there to make sure that nothing unfortunate happened, or to put a stop to it if it did. All around him, guests danced around in pairs or talked together in groups. The room was full of colorful gowns, sharply-dressed suitors, and the warm feeling of laughter and amusement. Jay, however, wasn't the least bit amused. He wished more than anything that he could be outside talking to Erin again. He didn't even know where she had gone. He assumed that Voight had sent her back inside to the party, but as he looked around, she was nowhere to be found. That was probably a good thing at the moment. He didn't want to step on the Sergeant's toes again, and at this point Jay figured that even a sidelong glance at Erin could warrant a slap on the wrist.

As Jay took up a post standing against the back wall, his Chief Officer and good friend, Antonio Dawson, approached at a casual pace and took a place next to Jay.

"You look like someone just spit in your wine," Antonio remarked.

"Is it that obvious?" Jay answered bitterly.

Antonio held up his hands in mock innocence. "Never mind. I won't ask."

But Jay couldn't hold his tongue any longer. "It's just that sometimes Sergeant Voight likes to act a little bit like Daddy Voight, if you haven't noticed."

Antonio blinked in surprise. "Voight has a problem with _you_? You're the Captain. You never put a toe out of line."

"Yeah, well, apparently that's changed in his mind."

Antonio dropped the subject and instead made some cheeky remark about a rather drunk couple who stumbled around on the ballroom floor as they attempted to waltz despite their intoxicated state of mind. Jay wasn't really listening, though. As good-natured as Antonio was, Jay needed to let his anger and frustration disperse before he could even consider actually enjoying himself.

Hours later, the party guests had finally cleared out, the King and Queen had said their goodnights and gone to bed, and all the soldiers on guard at the ball were permitted to take their leave as well so the nighttime watch could take their places, but Jay had somehow found himself back in the ballroom. It was dark and empty, with only the light of the moon coming in through the windows there to illuminate the huge room. It was nice, though, to have the space to himself to think in the midst of the quiet. This was what he preferred. Stillness and simplicity as opposed to the flamboyance of parties and dancing. He often wondered if living in a castle was really what he wanted, even if his job was what he had always dreamed of and more.

Suddenly, a quick movement at the left corner of the room caught his eye, and Jay noticed a figure dressed in black scurrying down the winding staircase that led up to the chambers and then darting behind the curtains to enter the adjoining room. Acting on the instinct that his position as Captain of the Guard had taught him, Jay ran after the figure, throwing back the huge gold-emblazoned curtain as he passed it. The next room over was no more than a small lobby of sorts. It connected the ballroom to the western tower, the sun room, a parlor, and also led out to the back gardens. It was in that direction that the dark figure was headed. Jay didn't think the person had noticed him yet, so he approached as quietly as he could, hoping not to be spotted until the last possible second. He realized, too late of course, that he did not have a weapon on him. Oh well, he needed some practice with physical combat anyway.

The dark figure stopped in the middle of the courtyard that spanned out into the Royal Gardens, looking around curiously. Jay slid behind a hedge and poked his head out to make sure his target was still in place, then made a series of long strides over to where the figure stood. The person spun around, only to be tackled to the ground as Jay lunged and made contact. Both of them slammed into the ground.

"Hey!" a familiar voice shouted, pushing against the weight of Jay's body. "What do you think you're doing?!"

Jay froze, arms extended to pin down his target and blood pumping in his veins.

"…Erin?"

"Yes, you idiot. Get off me!" she growled. Jay released her immediately and leapt to his feet. He extended a hand to Erin but she slapped it away and pulled herself up off the ground on her own. She threw back the dark hood that covered her head and straightened her long black dress and robes with a flustered expression on her face.

"Sorry," Jay mumbled as Erin brushed herself off. "I thought you were someone trying to steal something or break into the castle, or…yeah. Sorry." Erin didn't seem to be paying any attention to a word he said. "You know, most people don't call the Captain of the Guard an idiot and get away with it," Jay added, trying to lighten the mood.

No such luck. Erin narrowed her eyes at him.

"That sounds like something Voight would say," she noted coolly. He admired her defiance. It was one of his favorite things about her, actually.

"Right. Okay. Well speaking of the Sergeant, then, I'm assuming he doesn't know you're out here?"

Erin bit her lip but didn't break eye contact with Jay. He cocked an eyebrow at her.

"What are you even doing out here?" he asked.

Erin sighed. "To be honest…I was looking for you," she murmured. "I thought you might be on duty tonight, out here. I didn't expect you to find _me_ first."

Jay felt his eyes widen in surprise. She was looking for him? After their run-in with Sergeant Voight earlier in the evening? Why?

Erin seemed to see the questions forming in his mind before he got the chance to verbalise them.

"I'm tired of this, okay? I'm almost twenty years old, and I don't even belong here. Voight can't keep me under his thumb forever…I'm not even part of the royal family, so why does it matter? I want to leave, to start over. Even if it doesn't work out, I just want to try. And…Jay, I was looking for you because I want you to come with me."

A thousand thoughts ran through Jay's mind at once, all mixed together with the surprise that he felt stronger than anything else. But the most prominent thought in his mind was that Erin Lindsay wanted him to go away with her on her adventure. She wanted him, specifically. He looked at her. Dressed all in black, with her hair falling gently around her face, she looked so beautiful. She always looked beautiful to him.

Erin looked sheepish, all of a sudden, and babbled quickly. "I mean, you know the land much better than I do. And plus you're pretty good at the whole self-defence thing, if I ever needed that. But you don't have to come, if you don't want to. I'd understand. You have a life here. A job. Friends."

Jay thought of Antonio. What would he think? Would he feel betrayed? Or, more likely, he'd probably be thrilled at the prospect of a promotion to Jay's rank, the old bastard. Jay smirked to himself. He looked at Erin purposefully and stepped forward.

"That's true. But what if this isn't the life I want either?"

Erin looked puzzled. "I thought you were happy here."

Jay nodded. "I am…most of the time. But the idea of helping you start a new life is something that I would never forgive myself for passing up." Jay placed his hands lightly on Erin's shoulders. His heart pounded in his chest; he was so close to her. He could kiss her, if he wanted to, and he wanted to. But he knew that he couldn't. Not yet, anyway. It wasn't the right time.

"Jay…" Erin whispered.

"Voight will kill us," he pointed out. This was a painfully obvious factor he knew that he couldn't overlook, but he also knew that if he didn't take this risk now, he might never get the chance to spend time like this with Erin again. Time spent as the _real_ Jay Halstead, not Captain Halstead who must obey orders and follow formalities and guidelines.

Erin shook her head firmly, tossing her curls back and forth. "He doesn't own me. He doesn't own either of us."

_Yeah, but the King and Queen technically own me_, Jay thought nervously, but pushed the thought aside. Regardless, he had to take this chance.

"Okay. I'm coming with you," Jay told her, smiling.

Erin's face lit up. "You will?"

"Of course. Besides, I _am_ pretty good at the whole self-defence thing." He smirked at her.

Erin rolled her eyes but grinned at him eagerly.

"Give me ten minutes to go get some supplies," Jay said. "I'll meet you right back here. Stay hidden, okay?"

"Okay," Erin said, turning to assume a hiding place behind some tall hedges.

"Erin," Jay called out, making her turn back to him. Her face absolutely glowed in the moonlight. "Thank you," he said sincerely, "for asking me."

She looked at him with awe, and Jay felt a warm sensation brewing in the centre of his chest.

"There isn't anyone else I'd want with me," she replied.


	5. Wherever you want to go, I'm there

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** **I am so incredibly sorry for how long it took me to post this chapter, and also sorry if you find this one a bit boring. It's really just a stepping stone for the next part of the plot. I had a bit of writer's block and wasn't entirely sure what I wanted to happen next with the story. Usually with fanfiction (although I admittedly haven't written it in a while) I tend to plan things out as I go, which sometimes leads to temporary dead ends. However, I have a lot of ideas now so I'm hoping to update frequently once again! Also, thank you very much to everyone for all of the follows and positive reviews! It really means a lot to me and makes me motivated to keep going with the story, so thank you.**

"This is perfect," Erin said, mostly to herself. She said it with determination, knowing that she had finally achieved what she had been hoping to for so long. Well, so far, anyway. She looked up at Jay, who was walking beside her. He carried a large burlap bag over his shoulder, which was full of whatever supplies he had managed to find in minimal time before their departure. Erin still couldn't believe that he had agreed so readily to come with her, to run away from the lives they had at the castle. As proud of herself as she was, Erin felt guilt twist in her stomach like a knife. Jay had an entire career—not to mention the respect of Sergeant Voight and the King and Queen—that he was leaving behind. Even though he had said he wanted to go with her, she couldn't help but doubt the truth behind his words. Erin stopped in her tracks.

"Wait," she said. Jay stopped and turned to face her. "Jay…" she said, trailing off. She felt ashamed. "…Are you sure this is what you want? I mean, we haven't been walking that long. We can go back. _You_ can go back, if you want to."

"Erin, I said I'm going with you. Of course I'm sure. I wouldn't have said so if otherwise."

"But…look, Jay. I'm going no matter what. But you have a job here. Don't you want to think about what you're doing before you're in too deep?"

Jay took a step closer to her. Erin felt like he was close enough to hear how loudly her heart was pounding in her chest. It made her nervous, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from his.

"I want to run away with you," he said simply, his eyes glued to hers. It was his tone, though, that gave her faith, but then he continued. "Protecting you is more important than any of that," he gestured aimlessly with his hand in the direction of the palace long behind them.

Although Jay's words made her heart flutter in her chest, Erin wasn't totally convinced. "But…Jay, it was so stupid of me to ask you so abruptly. I hardly even gave you the chance to think about it! And now—"

Jay gently put a finger to her lips and cut her off. "And now, I don't have anyone to answer to or any rules to follow, and I get to help you start a new life. I want to be able to _know_ you, Erin. Without having to look over our shoulders every five minutes. This seems like a pretty good way to do that. Wherever you want to go, I'm there."

The way he was looking at her made Erin feel very warm and incredibly self-conscious, but only because she knew that Jay was as hyperaware of her as she was of herself in that moment. There were only a few inches of space between them. She could take a step forward, close that gap. Erin felt herself leaning upward, drawing nearer to Jay…

Suddenly, a chorus of shouts and loud, approaching noises in the distance made them spring apart. Erin could see the faint glow of torches coming up over the nearby hill and she could hear the sounds of dozens of hooves hitting the ground, probably belonging to horses ridden by angry, determined men. She had no way of telling who was approaching at this point, but she knew that they couldn't take any chances and therefore couldn't be seen.

"We have to hide," she said urgently. Jay didn't hesitate; he grabbed her hand and dragged her toward the group of shrubs and bushes lining the road. They dropped to the ground, peeking out between the leaves and branches in front of them and breathing hard. Erin thought that her heart might burst from her chest, and she was terrified that even their breaths would give them away.

Sure enough, the men who rode by on their horses wore the black and gold uniforms of the Royal Family and bore the traditional crest on their armor. Erin scanned the group as best she could without revealing herself, but Sergeant Voight was nowhere to be seen. She could only imagine how livid he must be upon realizing her disappearance, not to mention that of his Captain.

Once the group of soldiers had ridden past and were safely far enough away, Erin let out a huge breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding in.

"That was close," she said in a hushed voice. She had to admit though, the rush of adrenaline flooding her system was something she had craved for a long time. "They have no idea we're here, though. That's a good sign."

But Jay was shaking his head, looking worried and staring out in the direction of the castle with a nervous set to his jaw.

"What is it, Jay?" Erin asked.

"Those guards weren't looking for us, Erin."

She blinked in surprised. "What do you mean? Of course they were. They were from the palace."

"Yeah, but I'm one of them, remember? Or at least, I was until I decided to leave. But either way, I've trained with these guys and I know how Voight wants things done. They didn't stop here to look because they already have a set out destination. This was a separate mission, something that was decided before we left. They probably don't even know that we're gone yet, because it's so late at night. Voight probably thinks we're both in bed, and I wasn't scheduled to be on duty tonight. Tomorrow, though, that'll be a different story. So you can bet that we're not in the clear yet. In fact, we really need to find somewhere to lay low for a bit, if we don't want to be discovered."

Erin bit her lip nervously. "I didn't think this through too much…ugh, I'm so stupid! Where are we supposed to hide? We can't just live in the woods until this all dies down. Knowing Voight, it'll take a lot more than a mere couple of days for him to get over _this_."

"Hey," Jay said soothingly, placing a hand on her cheek. Despite the faint chill in the air, his hand was warm, and Erin loved the feeling of it. "You're not stupid. Don't say that. We just need a plan, that's all. We'll keep going down this road, stay at whatever village we find first and try to stay hidden. Then we can move, keep changing locations for a bit in order to throw them off. It'll be fine, Erin. I promise. I won't let anything happen to you."

"I trust you," Erin said simply. She did, too, with all her heart.

"Let's get moving, then," Jay said, helping Erin to her feet. "The next village is only a couple miles down the road, if I remember correctly. We'll stay there for tonight, at least."

As worried as she was at their lack of a solid plan, Erin was confident in her safety as long as she was with Jay. She didn't know where they were going, let alone where they would end up by the time the situation worked itself out, but she hoped that it was in their favor. She couldn't imagine beginning this adventure with Jay, spending all this time with the person who had captured her heart—although she had yet to admit it to him—and then having it all cut short by the very people she wanted so desperately to escape. Plan or no plan, Erin was determined that Voight would no longer control her, so she set out confidently into the night with Jay by her side.


	6. He owes me a favor

Jay woke to the bright rays of sunlight that could only signify early morning. He blinked the sleep from his eyes, trying to register his surroundings. He rolled over and realized that he was on a mattress on the floor, and that a sleeping Erin Lindsay occupied the mattress next to his own. Where were they? It took him a moment to collect his thoughts and remember.

After another hour and a half of travel, Jay and Erin were completely exhausted and took full advantage of the first village they came across on their journey. Jay hadn't brought his horse, because he figured it would be too risky trying to sneak him out of the castle without being noticed, but as Erin grew increasingly weary and as his own feet began to ache from their journey, he began to regret the decision to leave his faithful steed behind. Thankfully, they had discovered a place to stay for the night. It was a tiny village not too far off the main road, and certainly not far enough away from the castle to be outside the range of Voight's suspicions, but it would have to do for the night.

An elderly woman had graciously agreed to let them spend the night in the tiny cabin in her backyard. She seemed quite poor and didn't have much to live off of, but Jay had seen the kindness in her when she had readily offered up the cabin to them when he had only been asking for directions.

Now it was morning, and early morning at that. It was much too early for his liking, and he had gotten far too little sleep to begin another day of travel. Jay looked over at Erin. Even in sleep, she was beautiful. Her hair was spread out behind her head across the thin mattress and she was using the crook of her arm as a pillow. She looked so peaceful, and Jay knew that she wouldn't want to get up, but he didn't have a choice. Although he didn't know what time it was, he knew that it was far too early for anyone at the palace to be waking up. The perfect time for them to get on the move, and they had to cover a great deal of distance if possible today.

"Erin," Jay whispered. He placed his hand on her shoulder and shook her gently. She stirred and rolled over, facing him now. "Erin, come on, we have to get up," he said quietly. She groaned quietly and then blinked her eyes open, clearly surprised by the brightness of the room.

"Good morning," Jay said, smiling at her.

"Hi," Erin said, the rasp to her voice enhanced by her sudden awakening. "What time is it?"

"Early," Jay replied, rising to his feet. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to wake you. But it's probably a good idea to get a head start. With luck, Voight isn't even awake yet and doesn't know that we're gone."

Erin nodded sleepily and sat up on her mattress. She tucked her hair behind her ears and yawned. Jay couldn't take his eyes off her. Sleeping next to her, all he had wanted was to reach over and pull her in close to him. He wanted to feel the warmth of her body against his more than anything. But of course, he was here to protect her and he couldn't let himself get distracted or get in over his head.

"I'm going to go see if Mrs. Henry is awake and ask about where we can go next, then we can see about getting some food. Take your time getting up, we've got a long day ahead of us," Jay added warmly.

Erin smiled up at him, making his heart stutter a little bit. "Regardless," she said, "I'm glad I get to spend it with you."

Jay smiled at her and said, "Me, too," before ducking out of the cabin and heading toward the ramshackle house owned by the generous lady, Mrs. Henry, who had given them shelter for the night.

To his relief, Mrs. Henry was up and about when he walked in the back door. She puttered around her cramped, tiny kitchen, boiling water in a kettle and attending to various foods scattered about on the table and countertops.

"Oh," the tiny old woman said upon Jay's entrance, startled. "Good morning, dear. I didn't expect you up so early."

"Good morning," Jay answered. "Sorry to startle you, ma'am. We're hoping to be on the road pretty early. Do you know of any place to stay that we might end up near after about a day's journey?"

"Looking to get away from something, are you?" the old woman asked, raising an eyebrow. She shook her head and fixed her grey hair into a knot at the back of her head. "Oh well, it's not any of _my_ business. There's Windsor Village not too far from here, but other than that I can't be of much help. My husband knows these lands much better than I do, and he's traveling for work at the moment." She glanced around her tiny house, as if willing him to suddenly appear in the room. It looked like the two of them were only just getting by.

"That's okay," Jay assured her. "You've already been more than helpful. We're very grateful."

"That's a lovely girl you've got," Mrs. Henry said as she lifted the kettle from its resting place on the stove. "Are you two married?"

Jay felt the heat rising to his face. "Oh, um, no we're not really—" but he was cut short by the sound of a door closing behind him as Erin entered the house.

"Good morning," Erin said, smiling at them both.

"Good morning, dear. Here, come sit. I made tea and fresh bread."

"Thank you," Erin said gratefully, sitting down at the table. "We really appreciate this."

"It's no trouble at all, dear."

As they ate their breakfast, Mrs. Henry suggested a few of the shops in the village that might be of use to them before their departure, in order for them to stock up on supplies for the road.

"Go down to the stables and ask for Daniel. Tell him that I sent you, and he'll give you a horse. He owes me a favor."

As they made their way to leave, they thanked the generous woman many times over for the kindness she had shown them and then made their way out to the village, but not before Jay left a small pouch filled with gold coins on her kitchen table and Erin had given her a warm embrace. It was a little past seven o'clock in the morning, and they were making good time.

In the village, the two of them stopped at the bakery to purchase some bread and then at the grocer's to get a few fruits and vegetables. Jay marveled at the way Erin talked to every person they bought goods from. She was so gentle and genuine that he almost forgot about the fiery passion inside of her that could never be quelled. There were so many different sides to her, and he wanted to get to know every one of them. As he watched Erin place the wrapped packages of fruit in their knapsack, Jay felt a surge of gratitude that he had agreed to come on this journey with her. This was so much better than being stuck at the palace, even if he had given up his job. At least he had given it up for a good reason.

After they had finished their errands, the last place to go was the stables to hopefully get a horse and then be on their way. Jay was skeptical of this part of the plan, considering that he would never expect someone to just freely give them a horse without ever meeting them before and without any kind of payment. Without knowing what lie ahead in their journey in terms of food and shelter, Jay knew that they couldn't afford to spend money on a horse even if they wanted to.

As they approached the stables, Jay saw that there were many horses galloping or walking around in the fenced-in area. Bales of hay lined the fence, and outside the barn on an old bench sat a man with dark brown hair and a beard wearing a tattered beige shirt and coveralls. He was preoccupied with the pipe that he was smoking and didn't even look up when Jay and Erin approached.

Erin glanced at him, unsure of what to do. Jay cleared his throat purposefully, hoping to get the man's attention, but to no avail.

"Excuse me," he finally said, trying to sound as polite as possible. His time spent as Captain of the Guard had given him plenty of practice in that particular area. "We're looking for someone named Daniel."

"Who's asking?" the man grumbled, still only focusing his gaze on the puffs of smoke emanating from his pipe.

Jay and Erin exchanged glances; they didn't want to give out their real names for fear of someone from the palace—particularly Sergeant Voight—finding out they had been here.

"Mrs. Henry sent us," Erin cut in gently, hoping the man wouldn't ask for their names again. "She said we'd be able to get a horse from you, since we have a long way to go."

The man sigh and stood up off the bench. "Listen, if Amelia Henry sent you then that's all fine, but—" he suddenly stopped, mid-sentence, and stared at Erin with wide eyes. "My God," he whispered.

They both froze, scared to look at each other and scared to look anywhere but directly at the man for fear of looking suspicious. Surely he recognized them, somehow. He recognized Jay as Captain Halstead and knew that Voight would be looking for them, furious at their disappearance.

"Erin," the man said quietly.

"Look, I can explain," Erin began, frantic to come up with some excuse for why she was outside the castle and so far from Voight's supervision. This man probably knew Voight and was ready to turn them both back to him before she could get a word in edgewise.

The man shook his head. "You don't have to," he said firmly. He took a step closer. Jay tensed, ready to grab Erin by the hand and make a run for it if necessary.

"I don't understand," Erin said, confusion tainting her tone. "How do you know me? Who are you?"

The man offered her a sad smile and looked at her both sheepishly and with awe. "I'd know you anywhere," he replied. "I'm…I'm your father."


	7. I can handle my life just fine

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I am so thankful for all of the follows and lovely reviews that I have been getting for this story, and really it makes me so happy as a writer. Also the Linstead feels in this chapter made me smile while I wrote it hehehe, hope you enjoy!**

Erin felt as though someone had frozen her entire body right to its core. She couldn't move, she couldn't speak. She barely registered Jay's grip on her arm or the sound of his voice.

"Erin," Jay said urgently. She blinked and shook her head, trying to focus on the moment at hand.

"You're…my father?" Erin sputtered. "How…how is that possible?"

Daniel took a long inhale from his pipe and blew out a wisp of smoke before answering. "I left before you were born, of course your mother probably told you that. I'm sure that woman probably hates me at this point."

"Only slightly," Erin muttered. She couldn't keep the bitterness out of her tone. She had been raised to despise the man sitting in front of her, arrogantly puffing out bursts of smoke around them. Only now that she had finally met him, and that she could see his face and know who he was, she didn't know what to feel. A part of her felt angry, and rightfully so, but the curiosity burning inside of her was overwhelming. Suddenly, all thoughts of running away and avoiding being discovered by Voight and the rest of the guards vanished from Erin's mind. All she could think about was the fact that she finally knew who her father was.

"Did your mother ever say anything about me?" he asked, although with his tone of voice, it sounded like he didn't really care too much.

Erin frowned. "Just that you were a lying bastard who had no respect for family values or commitment." She heard Jay laugh flatly under his breath next to her, but he tried to cover it up with a cough. She couldn't help herself. Her mother had trained her to think this way about her father, but Erin had never once thought that she would actually come face-to-face with the man. She felt so many things at once that it was confusing. There was anger, sure, but the curiosity that Erin felt was overwhelming. Until now, she didn't think she would ever find out who her father was, but he was staring her in the face.

Daniel chuckled darkly. "That sounds like my Bunny, all right." Erin rolled her eyes at the annoying pet name but didn't bother commenting. What would be the point of starting an argument now? She already knew what kind of a man she was looking at. "Anyway, what are you doing here, Erin? Come looking for your old man, did you?" Daniel looked at Jay, who had remained silent throughout the conversation and had been watching with keen interest. "Who's this?"

"We're just…traveling. This is, um…" Erin searched her mind frantically for some kind of lie to make up. Her father probably had no idea that she had run away from home, or that she had been living in the palace under the care of Sergeant Voight since she was fifteen years old. Still, she couldn't risk telling him the truth. Even if his reputation didn't proceed him, she didn't know who she could trust at the risk of word getting back to Voight or one of his soldiers.

"I'm her…husband," Jay cut in recklessly. Erin almost choked; where had _that_ come from? "Yeah, and we're…on our honeymoon. Of course, we needed to get a horse so that we could continue our journey, which is why we…stopped here for the night, and then got sent to you. For the horse."

Erin didn't know what to say or do, she was so shocked by Jay's readily available lie. She froze as he slid an arm around her and pulled her in close, obviously trying to look as convincing as possible.

Daniel looked at the two of them suspiciously but sighed and got up off the bench. "Well, whatever you say then. I'll get a couple of horses from the barn. Amelia Henry has baked me more home-cooked meals than I can count, surely I can repay the favor. Plus, can't let my daughter go without, now can I?"

Erin glared at him through narrowed eyes and watched him go into the barn, leaving her and Jay outside in the cool morning air.

"Husband?!" Erin exclaimed, turning on Jay. "What were you _thinking_? Are you crazy?!"

"Relax, relax," Jay said, raising his hands in defense. "It was the first thing that came to mind, okay? Plus, it's a lot more believable than, 'Hi, Dad. I just ran away from the palace—you know, the one where the King and Queen live—and this is the Captain of the Guard, who agreed to run away with me. Oh, and by the way, I've been living with the Head of Royal Security.'"

Erin hesitated nervously. Jay did have a point. But still, how long would they have to keep up this kind of façade?

Although, there was something Jay had said just now…

"So…the first thing that came to your mind for a convincing lie was…we're married?" Erin asked him, raising her eyebrows. She couldn't help but feel a little thrilled by it.

Jay's face flushed. "Er…well, you know. We ran away together. That's the sort of thing married people do sometimes, right?"

Erin smirked at him, enjoying seeing him dance on eggshells to cover up…what, exactly? Was Jay attracted to her like she was to him? Her curiosity was at its peak.

"Yeah, I guess so," Erin said, smiling up at him.

Jay cleared his throat. "So, what are you going to do about your dad?" Erin figured he was purposefully trying to change the subject, but it was a pressing question at the moment, so she let it slide. She would have plenty of time to figure out Jay later, now that she had him all to herself.

Erin sighed. "I don't know. I mean, when I lived with my mom, she always told me he was a horrible man. And there's certainly evidence to back that up—I didn't know who he was until fifteen minutes ago. But feeling tied down to the castle, and to Voight…it made me want to know myself more, and maybe that means knowing my family. He might know something about my mom, too. I haven't seen her or spoken to her in years. I…Jay, she could be dead for all I know."

"Your mom isn't dead, Erin. I'm sure of it," Jay said, placing a gentle hand on her arm.

"Don't do that," Erin said sternly, pushing him away. "Don't placate me like that, Jay. I can handle my life just fine. I chose for it to be this way, remember?"

"Okay, fine. Fine. You're right. Just…do whatever you need to, okay?"

"Well we can't stay here," Erin answered. "We have to go. We can't risk them finding us."

"Who's them?" a voice said behind her. Erin spun around to see her father standing there with a handful of reigns and ropes in his hand.

"Oh, um…" Erin stammered, but her father held up his hand.

"Look, whatever you're into, Erin, I don't have a leg to stand on when it comes to trying to tell you what to do. Just be careful, all right? You go where you need to go, but if…if you need family…well, I'm here."

Erin glowered at him, suddenly feeling the anger flood her chest with a hot, stinging sensation. "You are _not_ my family," she snapped, "and until today, you weren't anything to me at all. What I left behind is more family than you'll ever be to me. So just…don't try to help me, okay?"

"Um, Erin?" Jay said nervously, tapping her shoulder.

"What?" she muttered, harsher than she meant to.

"Don't speak so soon," Jay said worriedly.

Erin followed his gaze to see a group of royal guards at the other end of the village. The black and gold coloring of their uniforms was unmistakeable, even at a distance, not to mention the royal banner flying high above their heads. There were only a handful of soldiers, no more than ten, but it was enough to strike fear into Erin's heart at the possibility of being discovered here.

Desperately, she looked up at Jay, and despite her sense of pride and defiance that she wanted to maintain around her neglectful father, she didn't stop the next words that came out of Jay Halstead's mouth.

"Can you hide us?" he asked her father. "Now?"

Daniel peered over Jay's shoulder at the soldiers in the distance. They looked to be interrogating a villager, probably asking if they'd seen anyone matching Jay and Erin's descriptions. Daniel sighed. "Go inside, now. I'll get the horses ready."

Quickly, Jay grabbed Erin by the hand and pulled her into the barn, closing the door behind him. They ran to the back of the building, breathing heavily in the near darkness. All around them, horses stomped in their pens and neighed. Erin closed her eyes and prayed that the guards wouldn't come over here, and especially that Voight wasn't with them. She didn't realize that she was shaking until she felt Jay's arms around her waist.

"Hey, listen to me, okay?" he whispered. "This will be fine. They're not going to find us. We're going to get out of here before they even come looking, and everything will be fine. I promise." Erin nodded helplessly, but she was still tremoring, so Jay pulled her in closer and nestled his hand into her shoulder. Erin slid her own arms around his strong body, holding him close. In this moment, she was filled with gratitude that he had agreed to come with her. She didn't want to face any of this without Jay by her side.

"Voight knows," she said into his chest. "He knows. He'll never stop until he finds us."

Jay drew back slightly so that he could look at her, but still kept his hands planted on her hips. "Then he's going to die trying," Jay said firmly. The certainty in his voice helped Erin relax slightly. She looked into his eyes. They were so beautiful, so sharp and knowing. He was so handsome, and he was holding her so close…

"Ahem," Daniel said pointedly, clearing his throat. "If the happy newlyweds are done, I'd be happy to help them run away from the soldiers now."

Erin felt herself blush but walked over to the back door of the barn.

"I realize how suspicious this is," Jay said quickly to Daniel. "But thank you for helping us. We really appreciate it."

"Just look after my Erin, okay?"

"Don't—" Erin began, but Jay cut her off.

"I will, sir. Always."

Suddenly, there was a loud banging on the front door of the barn, and several voices could be heard from outside. Erin and Jay exchanged a nervous glance and then both of them looked helplessly at Daniel.

"There's no way to leave now without someone noticing," Daniel explained. "Quick, hide in the supply closet. I'll get rid of them, and then you can be on your way."

Heart pounding, Erin ran over to the closet as directed and hurried inside, pulling the wooden door closed once Jay slid in behind her. She was so nervous that she thought the guards would surely be able to hear her breathing, even though they were at the other end of the building. So Erin held her breath and felt herself grasp Jay's hand firmly in her own as she peered out from a gap in the wooden panels to nervously wait as she put her fate in her father's hands for the very first time in her life—and hopefully the last.


	8. A pretty messed up definition of 'luck'

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** **On Monday I am going on vacation and I won't be home until July 8, so don't expect the next chapter until sometime after that once I have time to sit down and write it. I'm sorry to keep you waiting, but I promise I'll update as soon as possible once I'm home! Thanks loves, xoxo**

Jay knew that he was at risk of being discovered by the Royal Guards, but he had to admit that he kind of liked being trapped in a tiny closet with Erin Lindsay. She was so close to him, close enough that he could hear her quick, nervous breaths. Hesitantly, he put his arm around her shoulders in comfort. His heart was racing from more than just the closeness to Erin; at the other end of this building was a group of guards ready to take them back to the castle where they would be in more trouble than Jay cared to imagine. The thought slowly sunk in that if they were discovered, Jay would more than likely lose his position as Captain of the Guard, and then what would he do? His future depended on helping Erin find hers.

They both peered through the cracks between the planks of wood and watched as Daniel opened the front door to the barn. Erin inhaled sharply and Jay instinctively tightened his arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him; she was shaking.

"It'll be okay," he said quietly.

"It better be," Erin said through gritted teeth. "How sad is it that I can't stand that fact that it would have to be _my father_, of all people, to hide us from the palace guards?"

"I just can't believe that he's been so close to you all this time, and that we happened to run into him. What luck, huh?" Jay was trying to lighten the tension that was practically suffocating them inside the tiny closet, but he could tell that it was a futile effort.

"You must have a pretty messed up definition of 'luck'," Erin muttered under her breath. Jay suppressed a sigh and knew that he wouldn't push her on the subject. He couldn't imagine what she was feeling right now or what kinds of thoughts were going through her head. He didn't like to think of how she and her mother had been abandoned, but he knew that it was the truth and that the man responsible for it was also the man trying to save them from being discovered at that very moment.

Jay tensed as he heard the raised voices of the guards at the other end of the barn. They spoke in urgent tones, which only meant that they were anxious to find them. Voight probably had some kind of horrible threat held over their heads. Jay's thoughts turned to Antonio. He felt a pang of guilt for leaving his friend behind without so much as a brief explanation as to why, but he also knew that he had made the right decision. He knew that Erin needed him, and he hoped that he would be able to help her find the life she wanted to live. He just wished he felt confident that a better life was waiting for him, too. Had he just given up the best part of his life?

Of course, he couldn't let Erin know that he was having these thoughts and doubts. He didn't want to lie to her, especially because she had trusted him specifically to accompany her. But there was no denying that he was nervous about what lied ahead in terms of his own life. As long as Erin could find peace with herself and her life, then maybe he'd be okay.

"Jay," Erin whispered nervously, "Someone's coming!"

That snapped him out of his thoughts immediately. Jay felt his whole body tense as he listened intently and heard the distinct sound of footsteps approaching on the rough ground. He still had his arm around Erin, and held her just a little bit closer without fully realizing what he was doing.

"Can you see anything? Are they still talking to Daniel?" he whispered to her. It was risky to try to talk, but he couldn't help it.

Erin shook her head. "I can't tell. They're definitely not by the door anymore. Jay, what do we—"

"Shh," Jay murmured, rubbing her shoulder gently. "Just wait."

The footsteps came closer, rough brushes against the dirt and rocks that covered the ground. The horses in the barn weren't even bothered; Jay could hear their easy grunts and snorts in the background. Just then, the footsteps came to a stop, and whoever they belonged to was alarmingly close to their hiding place. Jay froze and Erin inhaled sharply. They both were holding their breaths, too scared to move or let out any air in fear of being discovered.

Suddenly, the wooden door swung open to reveal…Daniel.

Jay breathed a sigh of relief and felt Erin relax into him.

"They're gone," Daniel said firmly. As joyous as the news was, Jay couldn't help but take note of the grim expression in Daniel's eyes. "Now, you had best be on your way. I'll get the horses and you can be off."

"Thank you," Erin said, and Jay could tell that she meant it. "We would have been found for sure if it weren't for your help."

Daniel nodded, seeming confused as to how to respond to the first 'thank you' he had ever received from his daughter in his entire life. He left them alone as he went to get the horses.

Erin suddenly wrapped her arms around Jay and buried her face into his chest. He was startled for a minute, but slid his arms around her, too.

"Thank you," she murmured quietly.

"For what?" Jay asked.

"For being here with me," Erin replied. "I don't know what I would have done if I had to hide from the guards by myself…and my dad…well, I still don't know what to do about him, but…just…thank you. For being here."

"Of course," Jay answered, surprised by the sudden moment of emotion. Although Erin tended to open up about her dreams and frustrations around him, she had always struck him as a headstrong girl who had been hardened by her circumstances. Now, though, she was just a little more vulnerable.

"What _should_ we do about my dad?" she asked, pulling back to look into Jay's eyes.

He shrugged. "I really don't know. It's not like we can ask him to come," he began, and then chuckled at the look of disgust that crossed Erin's face. She wrinkled her nose at the very suggestion, and he had to admit to himself that she looked incredibly adorable. "Okay, yes, I know that's out of the question. Maybe we could give him a bit of money? It looks like he might need some help around this place, and it's the least we can do to thank him."

Erin looked pensive for a moment, but then agreed to it. She offered to double check their bag of supplies before they headed off again to make sure they had all they needed, so Jay went to find Daniel with a handful of gold coins that he'd taken from the palace in his hand.

Daniel was busy adjusting the reigns on two horses—one colored a dark grey with white speckles and one colored pure black.

"I didn't expect you to give us two," Jay said upon his approach. "We can make do with one. You've already done enough."

Daniel shrugged as he continued his work without turning around to look at Jay. "One horse is because I owe Amelia Henry for keeping me afoot all these years. Two horses is because I don't know what you did to be on the run from the Royal Guards—and I don't want to know—but I sure as hell feel bad for you about it. Not to mention that Erin's my daughter, even if she doesn't seem too happy about that particular piece of information."

Jay shifted from foot to foot awkwardly, not really sure how to respond. "Well, uh…thank you. You've done more for us than we could have hoped for. We wanted to give you something to try to repay you a bit."

At that Daniel turned to see Jay holding out a fistful of gold coins that glinted in the morning light that shone through the cracks in the roof. Daniel's eyes widened slightly, which Jay did not miss, but then the old man shook his head.

"I can't take your money. I don't need that, not when you two have such a long way to go, and you don't even know where you're going!"

"Please," Jay insisted. "It's the least we can do for you. Erin wanted you to have it, too."

Daniel paused, staring down at the coins in Jay's palm. But then he sighed heavily and looked at the ground.

"No, son. I can't take that."

"I insist," Jay pushed. "Come on, you could use it to patch up the roof, or buy some new fencing for the horses. If…if I'm ever back around this way, I'll even stop by to lend a hand."

Daniel chuckled, but the sound had a grim edge to it. "That's very admirable of you, boy. But I'm not going to be around these parts for much longer. Not anymore."

Jay furrows his brow, confused. "What do you mean?"

Daniel stroked the long man of the black horse and then looked at Jay with sad eyes. "The guards were suspicious of me from the start. 'Course when they took out the village census and found out my name was Daniel _Lindsay_, well, that set them right off. I told them again and again that I didn't know anything—which is sort of true, I suppose—and even though they didn't bother to look inside, they thought I had helped you escape to somewhere else. They don't even think you're here anymore at all."

This was good, Jay knew, but he could tell there was more to the story. "But…?"

Daniel shook his head slowly. "But, since they thought I was involved, they made me their newest recruit, to pay for the wrongdoing in service."

Jay felt his jaw drop and Daniel nodded at him, seeing that he understood.

"Yup. You're looking at the newest member of the Royal Guard, son. I start tomorrow."


	9. You make me feel safe

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Wow I am SO sorry for how long it took me to update this. I was on vacation for about ten days and then I just didn't feel that motivated to write this when I got back, idk why. So yeah, I'm sorry if this chapter isn't the greatest. But things are about to get more intense for Linstead very soon! xoxo**

"Jay," Erin mumbled, tugging gently at the sleeve of his shirt. He was staring at Daniel with a bewildered expression, but she didn't know why. He could explain later, though, once they were on the road again. After all, they were currently staring a window of opportunity for escape dead in the face and had no way of telling the next time that such a window would appear to them. They had to leave, now.

"Jay, come on," Erin urged. "We have to go."

Jay blinked a few times and then said "Right, right," distractedly, but he was still looking at Daniel with an unreadable expression. Erin was confused and a little worried, but she didn't have time to hang back and check up on her neglectful father. She didn't have time to be a daughter; she only had time to be a runaway. And he certainly hadn't had time to be a father, so why should she owe him any favors?

Daniel cleared his throat uncomfortably and nodded. "You better be on your way. The horses are all ready, here. Just…be safe, all right? And Erin?"

Reluctantly, Erin turned to face him with her lips plastered into a thin line. Her father took a deep breath.

"Regardless of whatever trouble you're into…it was good to see you."

"Thanks for the help," Erin answered stiffly. It was all that she could gather the patience to say. She didn't want to feel bad for her father and she certainly didn't want to let him into her life in any way, shape, or form. She needed to be away from him, and fast, before he found his way inside her head.

Jay thanked Daniel once more, and Erin didn't miss the grim look that Jay threw his way, though he tried to hide it. She didn't care what Jay knew, or what was going on. If he wanted to explain later, then he could. Right now, her father was once again standing in the way of her future happiness.

They left through the back exit of the old, rickety barn and made their way onto an old dirt path. For the first twenty minutes or so of their journey, they didn't say a word. Both of them were nervous of running into the guards again, and they didn't want to speak for fear of being discovered or disturbing the perfect silence that enveloped them as they trotted through the tall grass. They each carried bags now, full with food and water canteens and blankets. It was the best they could do in such a rush, but they would manage. It wasn't _too_ far until they reached Windsor Village, and hopefully they would be able to stay there for longer than one night. Erin would kill for a shower right about now. That being said, they still had a day's journey ahead of them, and who knew what obstacles they might face on the way?

"Okay," Erin said after a while, finally unable to take the silence between them any longer. They were in the middle of nowhere with not a soul around, anyway. "What's going on, Jay?"

She pulled up on the reigns of her house and turned to look at him as the horse stopped its pace. Jay's horse did the same as he pulled up next to her.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

She rolled her eyes. "Don't play stupid. I saw the look you gave my father back there. What aren't you telling me? Spit it out."

Jay shook his head and sighed heavily. "He was just forced into service with the Royal Guard, Erin," Jay replied. Her eyes widened in shock, but she stayed silent. She didn't know what to say, really. "I feel bad for him…if it isn't something that you want to do…then it'll be like a punishment, which is exactly what they want to do. They can tell that he knows something."

"But, won't that be better than living in that old barn? In that poor village?" Erin asked. She wasn't trying to be supportive towards her father, she was only trying to quiet Jay's guilt. She was moved by his good heart, but she didn't have the patience to feel sorry for her father. _Serves him right_, she thought bitterly.

Jay shook his head. "Yeah, maybe. But I'm sure he had other plans. Plus, he won't be doing what I was doing. He won't get to stay inside while the King and Queen hold a fancy ball or get to live in palace chambers. He'll work in the dungeons and keep watch over prisoners. It'll be like he's a prisoner, too."

Erin shook her head and urged her horse forward again. She didn't have time for this. She didn't want to think about it. She could only think about herself right now.

Suddenly, Jay was beside her again, their horses trotting side by side. "Don't you at least feel a little bad for him?" Jay asked her. The tone of his voice was definitely irritated.

"Why should I?" Erin retorted. "What has he ever done for me?"

"He just saved us from the guards, you can't ignore that," Jay replied.

Erin pressed her lips into a thin line before speaking, as if she were trying to keep the angrier words from passing through them. When she did speak, it was in a clipped tone. "Okay, fine, that was good of him. But I can't allow myself to be attached to him. It'll only end in disappointment. If you don't get that, then you can go back and beg for your job back so you can spend time with my idiot father and comfort him, okay?"

Jay had nothing to say, and for that Erin was grateful. Sometimes he didn't understand, especially when she got angry like this. Jay's natural kindness and generosity was both a blessing and a curse to her, because at times it could be the most frustrating thing in the world.

For a good part of the remainder of the morning, neither of them said a word. They kept on a dirt path that snaked through a lightly wooded area. It didn't offer too much cover, but it was a great deal better than traveling on the open road where they could be easily spotted. They only saw a few horse-drawn carts traveling in the opposite direction, and even then they saw them through the trees and were certain that they remained either undetected or ignored by the other travelers.

All at once, Jay broke the silence. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't expect you to change the way you feel based on your entire childhood just because of one morning."

"It's okay," Erin said.

"No, it's not. I want to understand you, okay? I'm not going anywhere, Erin. And I want you to know that you can be honest around me."

Erin smirked at him. "I have no problem telling you _exactly_ how I feel, don't worry."

Though she was talking about her innate stubbornness that she was all too aware of, Erin felt her stomach twisting in knots as she realized that what she had just said wasn't entirely true. There were things that she didn't feel she could tell Jay, like the way she felt about him. Seeing him in the morning light, with the sun breaking through the leaves on the trees and shining on his warm expression, she knew that he was the kind of person that she wanted by her side through anything and everything. He looked so handsome, even lacking a good night's sleep and a shower. Her heartbeat quickened as she let her thoughts dwell on it.

"And how _do_ you feel?" Jay prompted.

The way he was looking at her…it was like he could read her thoughts. Erin felt vulnerable, which she hated passionately. Somehow it was only Jay that instilled that feeling in her, and it terrified her but also made her even more drawn to him. Should she tell him that? Did she even have the nerve to admit that he was the only person in the kingdom who seemed ready to both protect her and let her have freedom at the same time?

"I feel…" Erin began, but there was no way she could be fully truthful. "Safe," she finished. "You…you make me feel safe."

It was good enough, for now. Erin knew she'd end up telling him someday. Today just wasn't that day.

"I hope I can do that for a long time," Jay answered sincerely. They locked gazes and stared at each other for a moment in silence. Vulnerable, but secure. Yes, that was how she felt when Jay looked at her.

They both jumped, suddenly, as Jay's horse trampled over a tree root and Jay wobbled to the side, almost falling off. They laughed together, breaking the intense stare they had been sharing and breaking the moment of almost truth they had been sharing, too. But Erin was okay with it. She just wasn't ready.

"Erin?"

She looked up at him again, both of their laughter fading away.

"You make me feel safe, too."


	10. There'll be more where that came from

After an exhausting day-long journey, Jay and Erin had finally made it to Windsor Village, and they couldn't have been happier. Jay felt as though he would never forget the immediate surge of relief that had flooded his chest as they had approached the first signs of civilization that they had seen in almost twenty-four hours. They had managed to find a place to stay—they had discovered that a local family rented out rooms in their house for a fairly reasonable price and had immediately jumped on the opportunity.

Though she wasn't complaining, Erin seemed exhausted. Jay noticed circles under her eyes and a weariness to her step, but she still carried her fiery passion and determination that Jay admired and loved so much. He had offered her the only bed in the room last night and awoke the next morning from his place on the floor to find her still asleep in bed. Jay smiled to himself as he sat up, watching the gentle rise and fall of Erin's chest as she breathed evenly in her slumber. She looked so peaceful, and incredibly beautiful. Jay was glad that they had found a shelter that would last for at least a couple nights so that he was in no rush to wake her. She had been through more than had been expected in the past couple of days, and he knew that she needed to rest.

It was understandable why Erin did not want to harbor any sort of connection to the father who had abandoned her at such a young age, but one of the first thoughts that tumbled through Jay's mind that morning was the guilt that he felt over Daniel's involuntary enlistment to the Royal Guard. Although being Captain of the Guard was a job and duty that he had loved dearly, Jay knew that the life of a soldier was not for everyone. Not everyone wanted that level of responsibility and devotion to a cause, not to mention the fact that certain missions came along with risking your life. Not every man was cut out for that kind of duty and not every man wanted to lead such an unpredictable life.

Daniel was a man of simplicity, Jay could tell. They did not desire the same things in life, and yet it seemed that they were each being pulled toward what the other wanted.

In his heart, Jay knew that he had not seen Daniel Lindsay for the last time. The guilt that he felt—which was something he didn't want to disclose to Erin—was too heavy to bear without at least trying to lighten the burden.

On the bed, Erin stirred gently, murmuring nonsensical noises in her sleep. Jay stared at her in awe, unable to help himself while she was sleeping. The sun crept in through the curtains of the tiny room they had spent the night in, and it shone rays of light across her face. Jay marveled at how she could look both incredibly delicate and incredibly strong at the same time.

When Erin stirred again, this time she woke up. She sat up slowly in bed and rubbed her eyes before tucking her hair behind her ears and scanning the room. When she found Jay's gaze locked on her, she smiled warmly at him.

"Good morning," she said sleepily.

"Hi," Jay answered simply. "Did you sleep well?"

"I slept great, actually," she answered. "You?"

He shrugged. The floor hadn't been the comfiest sleeping place, but he had gladly let Erin have the bed. Of course, they could have shared it, but he didn't want to propose anything that make might either of them awkward or uncomfortable. He'd be lying if he said that the thought hadn't crossed his mind, however.

"You could have had the bed, you know," she added, giving him a knowing look.

"I wanted you to be comfortable. I'm here to make sure you're okay, remember?" Jay responded.

Erin rolled her eyes playfully. "Well, I would have been 'okay' on the floor."

Jay shook his head as he pushed himself up off the floor to sit on the edge of the bed. "Nonsense," he said. "I slept fine, and you needed the extra comfort. It's been a crazy couple of days." He paused for a second to look down at his hands in hesitation. "How…how are you? I mean, with everything. How are you holding up?"

Erin sighed and ran her hands through her hair. Jay wasn't used to seeing her in anything but the gowns that Voight had made her wear around the palace. Now, she was wearing a simple light brown dress with long sleeves and stitching across the front. She didn't look quite like the Erin that he had known for quite some time, but she also looked more like herself than she ever had. She looked comfortable and at ease. It was nice to see.

Erin looked down, too, averting his eyes. When she spoke, her voice was quiet and lacked the fierce determination that was usually found there. This, Jay knew, was a sign that she was letting some of her walls down. He had caught on to her pretty quickly, even after only having spent two days in her continuous presence.

"I don't know, really," Erin answered. "Leaving felt so…_good_. It felt right, you know? And then I met my father, who was living such a short distance away from me this whole time. It just feels weird. I mean, I know that I don't owe him anything, and trust me when I say that I definitely don't belong in a castle and among royalty. But…I guess I'm just starting to second guess myself and worry for the first time since we left."

Jay reached over and titled her head up with his index finger, bringing her eyes to meet his. "That doesn't mean that it wasn't the right thing for you to do," he explained. "Remember how good it felt to finally be free? Not that we're quite there yet, but we're getting much closer than we would if we had stayed in the castle. This is right for you, Erin. I know it. It's okay to worry, though. Just remember that you did the right thing for yourself."

"Was it the right thing for you, though?" Erin shot back. "Are you as sure of yourself as you are of me?"

Jay heaved a sigh and let his hand fall to his side. "To be perfectly honest? I don't know. I guess time will tell, once I have some sort of a future established for myself. But you? I know in my heart that this is what you needed, and that's enough for me to want to stick around and see what happens, even if I'm not so sure about myself."

Erin looked at him differently than he had ever seen her look at him before. It was as if she was trying to see the deepest parts of him, the thoughts and feelings that he kept hidden away deep inside himself.

"You really care about me that much? To give everything up, even if you weren't sure how it would end up for you?" she whispered. She had moved closer to him on the bed, her hand almost meeting his on top of the sheets. Jay instinctively closed the space and laced his fingers through hers.

"Absolutely," he answered. "I'd do anything for you. That'll never change." Gently, Jay reached up to tuck a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. Erin grabbed his hand and held in place on her cheek for a minute before planting a soft kiss on the inside of his palm.

"Keep talking like that, Halstead, and there'll be more where that came from," Erin said coyly, nodding pointedly at his hand.

Jay couldn't keep the satisfied grin off his face. "I'll keep that in mind."

Slowly but surely, Erin was opening herself up to him, even to just the possibility of him, and Jay felt his heart leap in his chest as the realization crossed his mind. It would take time, he knew, but he was determined to see it through. If anything, this adventure had given him the chance that he had been hoping for longer than he cared to admit. Erin Lindsay was now a part of his everyday life, and he intended to keep it that way. If she chose to give him her heart along the way, then Jay was confident that _that_ would be the true adventure of it all.


End file.
